Bolungarvík (, regionally also ) is a small town and the only built-up area in the municipality of Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður in the northwest of

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

, located on the Westfjords

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

, approximately from the town of

Ísafjörður Ísafjörður (pronounced , meaning ''ice fjord'', literally ''fjord of ices'') is a town in the northwest of Iceland. The oldest part of Ísafjörður with the town centre is located on a spit of sand, or ''eyri'', in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord ...

and from the capital city

Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...

. Bolungarvík is close to abundant fishing grounds and has been used as an outpost for fishing since the 17th century, making it one of the earliest in Iceland. The village was not accessible by road until 1950, and in 2010 the Bolungarvíkurgöng tunnel was opened under the Óshlíð mountain to bypass the old road, which was frequently subject to avalanches and rock falls. Tourist sites include the Ósvör Maritime Museum, featuring a restored 19th-century fishing hut, a natural history museum, which houses taxidermied animals including a polar bear and the biggest bird collection in Iceland, and an indoor swimming pool with outdoor hot tubs and a water slide. Skálavík bay can be reached by a gravel road from June through August, and that same road also leads to the top of the Bolafjall mountain (638 m.) with views of the village of Bolungarvík, the Latrar Air Station, the Ísafjarðardjúp fjord, the Jökulfirðir fjords, the Hornstrandir nature reserve and the Denmark Strait. The surroundings of Bolungarvík are destinations for hiking, horse riding, sea angling and birdwatching.

History and folklore

According to , Þuríður Sundafyllir settled in Bolungarvík around 940 along with her brother Þjóðólfur. Folklore says they had a disagreement and put a spell on each other, as they were both skilled sorcerers. Þuríður laid on her brother that he would spend eternity as a monolith on which all birds would defecate. Þjóðólfur in turn hexed his sister that she would forever stand where the wind blows most. The pillar that was said to be Þuríður collapsed in half in 1936. The legend says that same night the cliff "Þjóðólfur" sank in the sea. That night their spell washed away into the sea.

In popular fiction

*Bolungarvík was the location for '' Nói Albínói'', a

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

by Dagur Kári about a disaffected teenager living in a remote Icelandic village. * Rúnar Rúnarsson's 2015 film '' Sparrows'' was partly filmed in Bolungarvík. *The 2015 film ''

Albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...

'' by Snævar Sölvi Sölvason is set in Bolungarvík.

Gallery

File:Faro de Bolungarvík, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 052.JPG, The lighthouse in Bolungarvík ''Óshólaviti'' File:Museo marítimo Ósvör, Bolungarvík, Vestfirðir, Islandia, 2014-08-15, DD 066.JPG, The Ósvör Maritime Museum File:TraditionalFisherman1Ice.JPG, Bolungarvík fisherman File:Bolungarvik-bolafjall.jpg, H-4A Air Radar Station atop Bolafjall

Climate

Based on the climate data for the most recent reference period, Bolungarvík has either a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Dfc'') or a subpolar oceanic climate (''Cfc'') bordering very closely on a

Tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...

climate (''ET)'', depending on the isotherm used.

Panoramas

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolungarvik Municipalities of Iceland Populated places in Westfjords Fishing communities Fishing communities in Iceland Populated places established in the 10th century